‘Is it a bird, is it a ‘plane, no it’s……Super Ace!’
By: shortfinals
Tags: 'utility' version of the Super Ace, 145hp, 155 hp, Austers, Aviation, be-spatted Super Ace, Blackburn, Blackburn Cirrus Major engine, British aviation, C.H.3 Series 4 Skyjeep, car-like steering wheel, CH.3 Series 2, Chrislea, Chrislea C.H.3 Super Ace Series 2, Chrislea CH3 Super Ace, Chrislea Skyjeep, Cirrus Major, commercial failure, control arrangements, conventional controls, DeH Gipsy Major 10 engine, design characteristics, detachable rear decking, G-AKUW, Gipsy Major engine, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, GVFWE, high-wing cabin monoplane, immediate post-war period, Keevil, monoplane, overweight aircraft, provision for carrying a stretcher, RAF Keevil, rara avis, rara avis of British aviation, small freight items, spats, steering wheel, strange control arrangements, stretcher, tailwheel undercarriage, Wiltshire, WW2 control tower
Category: aircraft, airshow, Aviation, British Isles, England, Great Britain, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, Second World War, Wiltshire
| Aperture: | f/5 |
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| Focal Length: | 15.8mm |
| ISO: | 100 |
| Shutter: | 1/0 sec |
| Camera: | MVC-CD500 |
Is a bird, is a plane, no it’s…Super Ace!
Here we have that rara avis of British aviation, one of only two examples of the Chrislea C.H.3 Super Ace Series 2 still flying in the UK. These aircraft were built immediately postwar, and despite sharing certain design characteristics (high-wing cabin monoplane, 145 hp DeH Gipsy Major 10 engine) with aircraft such as Austers, they proved to be a commercial failure. They were overweight and had strange control arrangements – a car-like steering wheel which customers disliked. The be-spatted Super Ace, G-AKUW, is parked at Keevil, Wiltshire, an early arrival at GVFWE; to the left, and partially obscured, is the WW2 Control Tower of the former RAF Keevil. I have been lucky enough to fly in this rare bird!
An attempt was made to market a ‘utility’ version of the Super Ace, called the C.H.3 Series 4 Skyjeep, which had conventional controls, a tailwheel undercarriage and provision for carrying either a stretcher or small freight items under a detachable rear decking – despite this, and a more powerful 155hp Blackburn Cirrus Major engine, only three were ever flown.
Chrislea C.H.3 Series 2 Super Ace
This month’s offerings!
Useful links
- Courtesy Aircraft Courtesy Aircraft are a purveyor of fine, used warbirds and other aircraft
- DONATE to the The People's Mosquito DONATE to help The People’s Mosquito Ltd build a Mosquito!
- Passiondesavions Excellent blog from a pilot and Air Traffic Controller (en francais). The photography is exceptional. C’est magnifique!
- The Mighty Jingles A truly amazing wargaming channel; aircraft (War Thunder) as well as tanks (World of Tanks)
- The People's Mosquito Ltd Help to launch a de Havilland Mosquito into British skies! An aviation charity with just one aim….
- TPM Fund Help us build a Mosqutio for Britain!
- Travelforaircraft An excellent aircraft miscellany!
Shortfinals - aviation and more! 
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